Ajegroup traces its origins to the early 1990s when Shining Path guerillas lay siege to the town of Ayacucho, Peru. The Añaños family food business was siezed by the rebels but Carlos Añaños took the blockade as an opportunity to start a soda business in the region cut off from outside brands. A chemist with an interest in soda pops, Añaños devised a secret recipe for a new drink called Kola Real made from local ingredients, which the family began began brewing in a backyard kitchen, bottling in recycled beer bottles and peddling from door to door.

The company later expanded to Lima at about the same time when Inca Kola was purchased by Coca-Cola, challenging the loyalty of many Peruvians to their national drink. Despite a fierce advertising battle with giant Coca-Cola, Kola Real kept its retail prices a wide margin less than bigger brands and expanded its distribution throughout Latin America.

Big Cola launched in Puebla, Mexico in 2002, distributing through small retailers. In the world's second-largest soda pop market the brand is now the most popular after Coke and Pepsi with 30% of cola sales. The company has most recently expanded into sales in Asia.

Review

This seems at first sip like a typical cola copy of Coke or Dr. Pepper, but the taste doesn't match up to those. Its got a good fruity/spicy sting on the tongue but then the flavor disappears entirely in a way that doesn't encourage another sip. Instead of finishing on an uplifting note, this cola seems to tamp down the tongue. Its the sucralose that ruins it.

It does have a good flavor, spicy with a slight bitterness, yet fruity sweet and energizing. Its just that artificial sweetener ending that keeps this from being a really tasty soft drink.